Dancing on the Moon
by starfruit06
Summary: Karen has been accepted into the School of American Ballet, and leaves for New York City immediately, leaving behind the people who care most about her, without saying goodbye. What will be the consquences of her rash decision?
1. 1 Runaway, Runaway

anime26angel: Hey everyone! Here's my latest story, Dancing on the Moon. I'm trying to make this as realistic as possible, so bear with me here! *ahem*, I don't own harvest moon! I'm only in high school! So leave me alone! (kicks soccer ball at approaching zombie lawyer's head) SCORE! (zombie lawyer falls apart) on with the fic!  
  
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Chapter 1  
  
Runaway, Runaway  
  
It was near nightfall with the sun sinking into the cool depths of the Pacific Ocean. It was the end of the day and the end of another summer.  
  
Karen Evans of Flowerbud Village stood on the shores of Firefly Beach, the waves crashing at her feet. She pulled out a heavily creased piece of paper from the pocket of her jeans, skimming its contents for the thousandth time.  
  
Dear Ms. Karen Evans,  
  
We are pleased to inform you that you have been accepted to the School of American Ballet..  
  
She still couldn't believe it. She had been accepted to the American School of Ballet, where she could train to be one of the finest dancers in the country and maybe just maybe be selected to be part of the New York City Ballet. The ballet company her mother was part of before she retired and moved to Flowerbud Village.  
  
It had been Karen's dream to be part of the New York City Ballet, ever since she watched Swan Lake at the Metropolitan Opera House, in New York City with her aunt Marissa, when she was 6 years old. She began her ballet training with her mother when she was 7 years old at the nearest ballet school, which was in Santa Barbara, 3 hours away from Flowerbud by boat. Year after year, she kept training and training. While everyone else kept telling her, year after year, that it was foolish to try and become a ballerina.  
  
"Study in school and go to college." Some had said. "Learn how to be a housewife, instead." The midwife said. "Forget about going to New York, your life is here." Others had said. But year after year, Karen ignored them, and kept training.  
  
She would have auditioned at the School of American Ballet when she was younger, if she had the money. This year, the vineyard was successful again, making more profits than it did when Eve, Karen's grandmother was alive. No one understood why the vineyard was making money again, but then, a miracle is a miracle, so why bother asking? Now that the vineyard was financially secure, Karen had the money to fly to New York City and to pay for the tuition, if she got in.  
  
Then there were her parents, Sasha and Gotz, but convincing them to allow her to attend the winter term was easy. Sasha was thrilled that her daughter wanted to go to the school and Gotz was willing to get her out of the house, since they didn't have a stable father-daughter relationship. Karen and Gotz thought it would be best for her to go to the School, so Karen could achieve her dream and they wouldn't be at each other's throats 24/7.  
  
So, about 2 weeks ago, the Evans Family flew to New York City, for their "summer vacation". When in reality, they went to New York City, so Karen could audition in order to get into the school. And 2 weeks later, she received the acceptance letter in the mail, saying classes would start on the 23rd.  
  
Today was the 20th and everyone was still clueless about Karen's decision to leave. No one knew. Not her best friend, Ann, whom she shared all her secrets with, not Kai, the worker at the vineyard, no one! Not even her boyfriend Jack. She didn't want anyone to know, so as to make it easier to leave without everyone begging for her to stay. Almost everyone scoffed at her plans to leave one day, saying it was unlikely for her to pack up her bags and leave. Everyone except Kai, but he still wanted her to stay. But she was going to surprise them all, by leaving tomorrow evening!  
  
Everything was perfect. Half of Karen's stuff was shipped to her aunt Marissa in New York City, and Karen was taking the other half of her stuff with her to her dorm room at the School. She and her parents were going to sail to Santa Barbara, and spend the night at one of her uncle's house. Then the following morning, drive to Los Angeles, and catch the 11:30 a.m. flight to New York City. There, Aunt Marissa will pick her up from the airport and spend the night at her penthouse. Then the next morning, they'll drive to the school, and classes will start at 8:00 a.m.  
  
Yep. Everything was perfect. She was going to get out of this middle of nowhere, and be free of the chains of small-town life. Yeah. Everything was perfect, and nothing and she knew nothing was going to stop her!  
  
"Karen." A soft voice whispered in her ear.  
  
Well, maybe just one thing.  
  
"Jack." Karen thought to herself.  
  
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Well that's the end of chapter 1. On to the next one! 


	2. 2 Wedding bells are ringing

Anime26angel: oooo : o oooooo....look at the big block....(sees giant block on top of English paper) NO! Must destroy block! Paper due in 2 days! (starts hacking away at block) Oh, hi guys...ummm yeah...i'm supposed to be doing a paper, but I have writer's block, so I'll just post chapter 2 of, Dancing in the Moonlight. I don't own harvest moon, so don't sue me! On with the fic! Thoughts= *word*  
  
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Chapter 2  
  
Wedding bells are ringing..  
  
Instantly, Karen pocketed the letter, as she felt a pair of muscular arms encircle her waist. "I thought you'd here." Jack murmured in her long sun-streaked auburn hair.  
  
"Found me." Karen whispered, emerald orbs watching the waves slap against the sandy shore. Silence fell between them, as they watched the sunset together.  
  
"Karen, there's something I want to ask you." Jack unwrapped his arms from her waist, and opened his rucksack. He reached inside and began rummaging for a small velvet box. It had taken him 3 months to save enough money to buy it, and he bought it 2 weeks ago, when Karen left for New York City. It had taken him another 2 weeks to build up the courage to ask her one of the most important questions of his life. He smiled when his fingers brushed against velvet. He pulled out the box and went down on one knee.  
  
*No!* Karen's mind screamed, while she looked perfectly calm. This was the only thing she was scared of happening and the only flaw in her perfect plan to leave. If he asked her, if he asked her, she might stay.  
  
"Karen Evans." Jack opened the lid to reveal a round icy diamond that glistened in the last rays of sunlight. "Would you do me the honor of becom- " Before he could finish his question, they heard a scream near the entrance to the beach.  
  
"KAREN!!!!" Screamed a flushed red-haired Ann Green with Cliff Evans in tow.  
  
*Thank God.* Karen thought to herself as Jack snapped the lid shut, hiding the engagement ring from sight. He stuffed it into his pocket, as Ann enveloped Karen in a bear hug.  
  
"KAREN! Cliff asked me to marry him!" Ann exclaimed, revealing a square cut diamond on a band of gold.  
  
"Ann that's wonderful! Now we're going to be family!" Karen cried with joy that Ann was marrying Karen's cousin, Cliff. She was also relieved that Ann's announcement prevented Jack from asking her to marry him.  
  
"Congratulations to the both of you." Jack said stiffly, a little mad that he and Karen were interrupted. *Now I have to ask her some other time.* He thought to himself.  
  
"C'mon, we better tell everyone the news." Cliff grabbed his fiancée by the hand and they ran up towards Green Ranch. Karen and Jack ran behind them, and watched Cliff turn blue from being crushed in a bear hug from Doug, Ann's father.  
  
"My little girl's getting married!" Doug bellowed.  
  
"Dad." Cliff croaked. "You're choking me."  
  
"Uh, sorry about that son." Doug gave him a couple pats on the back, while Cliff greedily gulped large amounts of air.  
  
"What's all the noise about?" With a creak of the front door, came in Gray, Ann's brother. Behind him was his wife, Popuri.  
  
"Cliff and I are engaged!" Ann showed Popuri the ring and she shrieked with joy.  
  
"OH MY GOD! You're getting married! That's wonderful!" Popuri hugged her sister-in-law, and went to hug Cliff. "You take good care of her ok?" She asked while squeezing the air out of his lungs.  
  
"Can't breathe!" Cliff gagged. Gray pried Popuri's arms off of Cliff, causing him to collapse on the floor, with little swirlies forming in his eyes.  
  
"Let's go tell my parents." Karen said, while she and Ann dragged Cliff out the door and towards the vineyard. Jack bid his goodbyes and followed the girls towards the vineyard.  
  
Cliff was awake when he and Ann told Sasha and Gotz the good news, but was soon unconscious from another bear hug from Gotz.  
  
"When are you two having the wedding?" Sasha asked inviting everyone inside for iced tea, while Kai and Jack dragged Cliff onto a couch.  
  
"I'm not sure, maybe as soon as the priest can perform the ceremony." Ann thought to herself, counting with her fingers to six. "I guess in late March or early April."  
  
"A spring wedding, how lovely." Sasha said pouring iced tea into several cups, and began passing them out to everyone. Once Cliff regained consciousness, everyone talked about wedding plans, until the clock chimed 10 times.  
  
"It's late and I guess we all should be going to bed." Karen suggested, hoping that Jack would have to leave and be unable to ask her that question.  
  
"Yeah, I'm a little tired myself." Ann yawned for emphasis.  
  
"I'll walk you home Ann." Cliff offered his arm to her and she linked her arm with his, leaning on his shoulder.  
  
"I better go home too." Jack got up and lightly placed his lips on Karen's, encircling her waist.  
  
"Good night Jack." Karen said sleepily, breaking off the kiss. She slid out of his arms and made her way up the stairs to her bedroom, shutting the door behind her. She leaned against the door and slid to the floor, untying her sneakers, and kicking them off her feet. She slithered out of her jeans and tank top, changing into her pajamas. She went under the covers of her bed, and stared at the ceiling.  
  
*He almost asked me to marry him.* She thought. She looked at her finger and imagined the icy round diamond ring encircling it. She closed her hand into a fist tightly, and punched her pillow. *If he asks me, I might not be able to say no.* She thought as she drifted into a dreamless sleep.  
  
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	3. Hide and Go Seek

Anime: Wow, I actually updated on this story. And to think I was going to take it off ff.net. Good thing I didn't! Hey everyone! Sorry it took me so long to update! Anyways, here's chapter 3! Enjoy!  
  
Disclaimer: After this, I'm not saying it again. I don't own Harvest Moon! Got it?  
  
**  
  
Chapter 3  
  
Hide and Go Seek  
  
Opening her eyes to the constant beeping of her alarm clock, Karen kicked the covers off her bed, taking no heed to where they fell. She grabbed some clothes, and made her way to the bathroom.  
  
**  
  
Rubbing the Pantene ProV into her scalp, Karen began to conjure up ideas on how to prevent Jack from proposing to her. She couldn't pretend to be sick, because it hadn't rained in over a month and she would go stir- crazy being in her room all day. A million other ideas raced through her mind, but Karen rejected every one. For she was able to find a loophole in each that would enable Jack to propose to her.  
  
Working out her frustration, she scrubbed a bar of soap fiercely into her skin. 'What am I going to do about Jack?!' The question pounded into her brain, causing it to throb. Karen continued to rub the bar of soap into her skin, until it broke in half. Placing the two halves of soap upon the soap dish, Karen turned off the shower and went to grab her towel.  
  
Wrapping the towel tightly around her waist, Karen grabbed her toothbrush and began to brush her teeth. Spitting the minty foam out of her mouth, she rinsed it out with water, letting the water swish back and forth. Spitting once more, she patted her mouth dry with another towel and began combing her damp hair.  
  
With her hair straightened, she began the task of putting on her clothes. She put on the denim shorts she wore yesterday and a white shirt with a purple fairy smiling mischievously. Picking up her pajamas and towel, Karen stepped out of the bathroom and walked to her bedroom.  
  
Once inside, Karen tossed her pajamas on the bed and began rubbing her hair dry with her towel. After picking up the clothes scattered on the floor, she tossed the clothes and the towel in the laundry. She quickly made her bed, and brushed her hair. After applying some lip gloss and eye shadow, Karen grabbed her Birkenstocks and opened her bedroom door.  
  
"Morning Kai!"  
  
Karen immediately slammed her bedroom door shut when she heard Jack greeting Kai. She grabbed her wallet, getting ready to sneak out of the house and eating breakfast at the bakery. She stepped outside her bedroom, making sure whether it was safe for her to leave unnoticed by Jack.  
  
While Kai and Jack were conversing, Karen managed to walk silently from her room to the stairs. However, when she reached the first step, it made a loud creaking sound that caught the boys' attention.  
  
"What was that?" Jack said, preparing to turn around. Fortunately for Karen, Kai was the first to see her shaking her head and waving her arms back and forth frantically. Immediately deciphering Karen's frenzied gestures, Kai grabbed Jack's shoulder and began pulling him towards the vineyard.  
  
"Hey Jack! It's getting close to harvesting time and I want you to taste this year's grapes." Kai said, as he dragged Jack outside.  
  
Slipping into her Birkenstocks, Karen ran down the stairs and opened the door. Peeking through the crack made by the front door, Karen sighed in relief when she saw Jack and Kai walking towards the wine cellar. Jack was the first to go in the wine cellar. With Jack disappearing into the cool depths of the cellar, Kai turned around and gave a thumbs-up to Karen. She mouthed a 'thank you' to Kai as he shut the cellar door behind him.  
  
Karen bounded down the dirt path from her house to the town crossroads. Making a quick right turn, she made her way into town. She walked into the bakery garden, and greeted Granny Ellen good morning. "Hello Granny, how are you doing today?"  
  
"Quite well my dear. I just wish it wasn't so hot. But it will be fall soon and the temperature will go down a bit." Granny replied.  
  
"All right then, you take care of yourself." Karen said as she headed towards the garden entrance of the bakery.  
  
"You too dear." Granny Ellen replied while Karen opened the door.  
  
Karen walked through the doorway and gave a friendly wave to Elli who came out of the back room with a Very Berry Pie in her arms. "Hey Elle, how's business?"  
  
"Doing well as always. Seems like people develop a sweet tooth as soon as fall starts. And you, how's the vineyard doing?" Elli replied, taking a knife from a drawer and cutting up the pie into sixths.  
  
"Business is a little slow these days, but we've been doing better in the past two years than we have in ten, so I can't complain. Karen shrugged. "Tonight, Dad's gonna ship out a big order to Santa Barbara."  
  
"Really now? Didn't he just come back from San Francisco on the 18th?" Elli inquired.  
  
"Yeah, he's been busy lately, sailing up and down the West Coast." Karen said. Karen believed that it was a good thing that her dad was so busy lately. There was less fighting in the house, and when he came home, he was in a good and surprisingly sober mood. Come to think about it, Karen realized that her father hadn't been drunk in over 6 months. 'Too busy to drink himself into a stupor, I supposed.' Karen thought.  
  
"Anyways, would you like something to eat?" Elli offered.  
  
"Yeah, I'd like pancakes, hash browns, rice omelet with tomatoes and cheese, bacon, and two glasses of orange juice." Karen said.  
  
"Hungry today Karen?" Elli said a bit stunned by her unusually large order.  
  
"Yep, didn't have dinner last night." Karen replied. 'This is probably the last time I'll eat here for a long time.' She thought sadly.  
  
"Anything else?" Elli jokingly asked.  
  
"Uh-huh! Three slices of your Very Berry pie!" Karen remembered how much Kai loved Elli's pie and decided to buy him some as a reward for hiding her from Jack.  
  
"Goodness Karen, if I didn't know better, I'd say you were leaving town, seeing how much food you ordered. Making seem like it's your last meal here." Elli said nonchalantly.  
  
The tiny hairs on the back of Karen's neck rose at hearing this statement. "Huh? Whacha talking 'bout Elle?"  
  
Elli smiled at Karen. "Nothing, it was just a joke." Karen sighed in relief. She really didn't want anyone to know she was actually leaving town. "Jeez, Karen, I've never seen you this flustered since, well ever! Something bothering you?" Elli was the kind of person you could tell your problems to, and the kind who could give you some sage advice on your dilemma. But Karen didn't want Elli or anyone else to know what was on her mind.  
  
"No." Karen replied.  
  
"Alright then, I'll be out with your order in a bit." Elli went into the backroom, the wooden door swinging behind her.  
  
Karen sat at one of the tables and pulled out her acceptance letter from the SoAB. She read the letter over and over again, imagining what her life would be like in New York City. She could almost see the yellow taxicabs driving up and down Times Square. She could picture herself flagging down one of those taxicabs to bring her back to her dorm room, after dancing the night away at a club. Karen was immediately broken out of her reverie by the clinking of glasses, silverware, and plates. Elli had just set down the two glasses of orange juice and the rice omelet Karen ordered, and placed a fork and knife next to the plate.  
  
Karen thanked Elli as she went to the backroom to cook up the rest of her order. Saying a quick grace, Karen began wolfing down her food. By the time she finished her omelet, Elli came out with Karen's pancakes, hash browns, and bacon. Thanking Elli once more, Karen began to cut up her pancakes.  
  
**  
  
Gulping down the last of her orange juice, Karen sighed in satisfaction. She pulled out her wallet, while Elli picked up the used plates, silverware, and glasses. Elli raced into the back room and immediately came out, wrapping the slices of pie Karen ordered.  
  
Stretching her arms, Karen got out of her chair and took several bills out of her wallet. She handed them to Elli, who gave her the slices of pie she ordered. Elli gave Karen her change. Karen waved Elli goodbye, walked out of the bakery and into Jack.  
  
**  
  
Anime: Hope everyone liked that chapter. Now be nice and review! By the way, I have an announcement to make! After thinking this over and due to popular demand, I have decided to do a sequel to Whispers in the Moonlight! It takes place a year after WitM, and it's about...well you have to read it in order to find out! I should have the first chapter out by next week! Until then, later! 


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